Teaching British Values and SMSC Through Children’s Literature

‘I looked at them, confused and baffled like a trapped, helpless creature. What was my kind and why shouldn’t I be in the country I was brought up to love? The land of hope and glory, mother of the free.’

This half day course (which could also be delivered as a twilight session or training day in school) is suitable for English Leaders, Senior Leaders, PSHCE co-ordinators and teachers who are particularly interested in this area. Reference will be made to the DfE advice ‘Promoting fundamental British values as part of SMSC in schools’ and the most recent OFSTED inspection handbook. The government have recently indicated that PSHE will be a statutory subject from September 2019.

We will investigate how British Values and SMSC can be taught through children’s literature from Foundation Stage to Year 6. Given the huge time pressures in school, we will consider how these fundamental values can be integrated into existing structures in a rich reading curriculum rather than being a ‘bolt on’.

Advice will be given on the selection of suitable texts to enable continuity and progression.

As another time-saving device, there will be a sharing of practical ideas for non-fiction and poetry linked to the core values such as democracy and the acceptance of different faiths.